The Norwegian operator, alongside partners OMV and Petoro, have made a small gas discovery in the Gemini North well, northeast of the Wisting discovery in the Barents Sea, Statoil reported on August 7, 2017.
Jez Averty, senior vice president for exploration in Norway and the UK, said: «The well was drilled with the ambition of proving up additional oil resources in the vicinity of the Wisting discovery, but like the previous Blåmann well, we discovered gas. We have over time secured a significant portfolio in the Hoop-area and what we have learned from this well will be important when we plan to test some of that acreage in 2018.»
The discovery is in the Hoop area, approximately 30 kilometers northeast of the Wisting discovery.
Recoverable volumes are estimated at 0.4-1 billion standard cubic meters (BCM), approximately 2-6 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE).
In addition, there was proved oil, amounting to approximately 0,5-2 million barrels of recoverable oil.
The well was drilled in license PL 855. This is the 1st well drilled in the acreage awarded in Norway’s 23rd licensing round.
This is the 3rd discovery in Statoil’s 2017 Barents Sea exploration campaign, following the Kayak oil and the Blåmann gas discoveries.
The well was drilled by the Songa Enabler semisubmersible drilling rig, which will now move to the Korpfjell prospect in license PL859 in the Barents Sea southeast.
To read the news in Russian.